Allentown, PA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Section 660-97 lists 'exempt signs' that don't require a zoning permit and aren't counted toward a property's overall sign number or area limits. Window signs are exempt under subsection J: non-illuminated signs displayed inside a window or on a window (decal or painted) and neon signs displayed inside a window are allowed in all zones, and such signs may not cover more than 25% of the subject window area. The rule folds door glazing into the calculation too, so a storefront can't dodge the cap by putting extra signage on a glass door instead of a window: window areas included in doors are subject to the regulation and included in calculating the maximum allowed coverage.

The exemption has a lighting carve-out, though: internally illuminated window signs larger than two square feet lose the exempt, uncapped treatment and instead are regulated in the same manner as wall signs, counted toward the maximum sign area and number limits for wall signs in whatever zone the property sits in. E, which counts only the glass or glazed elements of a window, excluding frames and mullions, when calculating the denominator for the 25% test. A business that papers over more than a quarter of its storefront glass with decals, paint, or posted signage, or that installs a large internally lit window sign without treating it as a wall sign, is out of compliance and subject to the Zoning Officer's enforcement authority under § 660-123, including a written notice of violation and a civil penalty track topping out at $500 per day of continued noncompliance.